The music maestro opened his eyes briefly today when another icon melody queen Lata Mangeshkar called up over phone to enquire about the former’s health at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai.

It has been for years now that Lata Mangeshkar had stopped singing. However, on Sunday morning, her voice had the magic to wake up the 85-years-old Assamese icon.

Talking over phone from Mumbai, Surjya Hazarika, who has been attending to Dr Hazarika for the last few days, said the maestro opened his eyes when Lata called up to enquire about his health. “The phone was placed in loudspeaker mode near Bhupenda’s ears when Lataji called up this morning. To everyone’s surprise, Bhupenda opened his eyes for more than a minute,” he said. “His eyes became moist too,” Hazarika added.

Till Saturday, the Dada Saheb Phalke award winner could only move his eyes or ‘half-open them on stimulation’ if someone called him by his name or played his songs on a cell phone.

“Lataji wished him a speedy recovery and said she was waiting eagerly to see him back among everyone. ‘Hum sab apke saath hai (we all are with you),’ said the iconic singer,” Hazarika informed.

Meanwhile, the deputy resident comissioner of Assam House, Mimbai, Debasish Sarma, quoting doctors, said Hazarika’s health has improved considerably with his lung infection decreasing by 70 per cent. “He is responding well to medicines and breathing around 25 times a minute. The ventilation support would be removed once he regains consciousness fully,” he said, adding the Assam Government has instructed the hospital authorities to provide Hazarika the best available treatment.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has also sanctioned two nurses to be assigned to Hazarika 24 hours a day while individuals and groups like Assam Association Mumbai and Vaisnav Samaj have been holding special prayers for his recovery.